1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to apparatuses for improving the chances of catching fish, and more particularly to devices for attracting and luring fish by mimicking group feeding activity at the water surface based on mechanical agitation of water with concomitant sonic output.
2. Related Art
Fishing has been pursued for tens of thousands of years since at least to the Paleolithic Age. Throughout much of its history, the primary purpose of fishing was for sustenance, though in many cases it was pursued for recreational or sporting reasons. A wide variety of practices fall under the general category of fishing, but the most popular variation is angling, in which a hook (also referred to as “angle”) or other like tackle is attached to a rod by a line. The rod also typically includes a reel that stores, retrieves, and pays out the line. The hook may be dressed with bait or an artificial lure to persuade the fish to bite down upon the same, resulting in the capture of the fish. Being weighted with the bait, the hook, and perhaps sinkers and lures, the end of the fishing line not attached to reel is cast out to the water. After the bait or lure is initially taken, the angler sets the hook in the fish with a forceful movement of the rod and line. The line, and hence the fish, is retrieved by rewinding the reel. Other techniques that do not involve fishing rods and reels such as spear fishing, hand gathering, netting, and trapping are also utilized.
Practically any body of water can be home to fish, including oceans, rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds, and so there are numerous options with respect to location. Moreover, fish may be pursued from the shore or on the water using boats and other vessels. A variety of specialty equipment has been developed and adopted for different species and the most suitable pursuit techniques therefor.
Regardless of the techniques, locations, and modes of pursuit, one of the most significant challenges of fishing is finding the fish. To a novice, it may appear as though an encyclopedic knowledge of a body of water and how it may be affected by a combination of temperature and weather conditions, seasons, lunar cycles is a prerequisite for success. Furthermore, an in-depth understanding of the foraging and migration activities of the targeted fish, in concert with the aforementioned variable habitat conditions, may be needed to identify the specific locations within a body of water that would likely be the most fruitful. Although fishermen with extensive experience fishing a particular spot may intuitively evaluate these conditions and factors, because of the almost infinite variability, picking a fishing spot may at times seem like a black art. Examples are legion where, despite best efforts, a fishing trip concluded without even a single bite because fish could not be found, or were not pursued in a manner that attracted the fish.
Numerous developments in the art have attempted, with varying degrees of success, to minimize the uncertainty associated with locating fish, on one hand, and to maximize the chances of catching fish. One such area with constant development activity is the lure, the fundamental objective of which being the aural and/or visual simulation of species that are part of the normal diet of the fish being pursued. The simulated species include worms, amphibians, smaller fish, and insects. Lures may be limited in that they must be positioned at least somewhat close to the fish as they are to bite the hooks attached to the lure. Depending on the characteristics of the surrounding water, the visual and/or aural output from the lure may also be limited. Thus, casting skills that may not necessarily be possessed by novice, if not most fishermen may be required.
Another development is the electronic visualizer that employs sonar or radar to detect and show the position/depth of nearby fish. The visualization may assist fisherman in navigating to a location on the water where there may be a lot of fish, and to identify suitable depths for maximizing the opportunity to present the bait or lure. However, visualization may not be sufficient, particularly if the fisherman is immobile, and/or outside the range of the equipment (line length, etc.)
Additionally, there are electronic callers that emit particular sounds simulating underwater events such as attacks by predators, movement, and the like. The effectiveness of such devices have been limited most likely because fish, being living creatures that take in sensory inputs and alters behaviors in response, may not necessarily be “fooled” by the simulation. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved and more effective fish attraction device.